bethanie + mark

i was incredibly honored when bethanie emailed me and asked if i would photograph this wedding. i have done several sessions with her and her adorable daughter sophie- see here, here and here and was thrilled to witness them join together as a family with mark and his kids. here are some of my favorites from this very special event :)

all the girls got ready together-i loved watching their excitement at things like lipgloss and perfume, new dresses, rings and new shoes-

bethanie brought some fun props from her work at hallmark-the girls had a great time going through and showing me their new looks

waiting...

 the girls were given rings as a symbol of the combined family. they were small rings that made a big impression on the girls

  bethanie brought some sparkling grape juice so the girls could be a part of all the toasts. at one point bethanie looked over and was worried that sophie drank out of the wrong glass.

bethanie arranged for a plaque to be placed above the bar at j. gilberts-it reads mark and bethanie. it was a surprise to mark-

sophie made a very special gift-a family mobile

 delicious cake by my cousin ashley at sugar beats bakeshop

 congratulations guys. your happiness is wonderful!!

treats

this was one of those photo shoots that you wish could go on forever. the evening was perfect-beautiful light, no wind, amazing temperature...

we lingered and talked-the boys played and the dogs ran and ran.

shelly had brought along treats for the dogs-it was a first for me to hold a piece of hotdog while i'm shooting :) and it made for wonderful entertainment when they found the bag stashed behind a chair and ate them all within the first 5 minutes of the session. 

after we were done the boys changed into their current sports uniforms-this shot was shelly's idea and it makes me laugh every time i see it :)

beautiful darby

this charming little lady was born last weekend-and i was lucky enough to meet her just a few hours after she arrived home. i have many more that i want to post...but i love these so much i couldn't wait for them all to be done. 

a few more...

suzann is an amazing interior designer. i love going to her house-it is incredible! these are two shoots of    lucy's big girl room.